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Strategywarm-up
What is Amazon's moat, and how could a new company attack it?
How to approach it
Name the parts of the moat clearly (logistics, selection, Prime habit, seller base) and look for a segment where those advantages matter less.
How a strong answer opens
“I'd name the parts of Amazon's moat clearly: logistics, selection, the Prime habit and its seller base. Then I'd look for a segment where those advantages matter less.”
Outline of a strong answer
Try answering out loud for a few minutes before you open this.
- Define the main moats
- Explain how they reinforce each other
- Look for weak spots: niche categories, local speed, curation
- Pick an angle for the attacker, such as same-hour delivery of one category in dense cities
- Name what the attacker must get right
- Explain how Amazon might respond
Where this question usually goes wrong
Proposing to beat Amazon head-on across everything instead of finding a niche where its advantages matter less.
Learn the method
Responding to a competitor in Module 5, Product strategy.
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